– Aircover Inflatables Airwall: inflatable walls to which green screens are attached, that can be erected on location, saving time and money of hiring cranes to stack shipping containers or hiring constructing workers to build wood frame backdrops. The Airwall was used in films including Avengers: Age of Ultron, Paddington, and other films.

David McIntosh, Steve Marshall Smith, Mike Branham and Mike Kirilenko, said that as set grips, they thought there should be a faster way to set up walls during production, so they invented it. They said grips rarely get recognized for the work that they do, so it was an honor to receive this award.

– Rhythm & Hues Global DDR System enables a recordable workflow and an efficient, collaborative content review process across multiple sites and time zones. Winners Keith Goldfarb, Steve Linn, Brian Green and Raymond Chih said that while Rhythm & Hues is no longer around, it’s gratifying that the DDR System has been recognized.

– Sony Pictures Imageworks Itview provides a creative review environment that can be used internationally so animation teams across time zones and cities can collaborate. Itview include extensive editorial and playback tools. J Robert Ray, Cottalango Leon and Sam Richards.

Thanks to Popular Mechanics, a supporter of this year’s awards. Attendees took pics in a photobooth in the lobby.

See the complete list of SciTech Award Winners on the Academy Sci-Tech site.

ASC Awards

@AmericanCine #ASCawardsFebruary 15 @ Hyatt Regency Century City

The American Society of Cinematographers celebrated its 30th year of ASC awards recognizing excellence in cinematography at the Hyatt Century City. Digital series by Amazon Studios and Netflix won awards.

– Lifetime Achievement Award: John Toll. Credits include Braveheart, Iron Man 3, The Last Samurai, Vanilla Sky, and many more.

– Career Achievement Award: Lowell Peterson for his work on Jane the Virgin, Desperate Housewives, Six Feet Under. Peterson said that he learned a key to success to learn to light and shoot your actress’ face. Jane the Virgin star Gina Rodriguez presented him the award.

– Board of Governors Award: Sir Ridley Scott (The Martia) won, award presented by Geena Davis. Ridley Scott was not able to attend, and accepted the award via video clip

In her acceptance speech, actress Phyllis Smith said that she was cast when the film directors had trouble sleeping one night during casting, and decided to flip thru the TV, and spotted her, and cast her.

“I’m so happy you found your Sadness,” she said, thanking them.

Other winners included:
– The Revenant bear by ILM won animated character in live action film
– The Good Dinosaur won animated effects in animated movie
– 2K Games Evolve won character animation in a video game

– Animator legend Phil Roman (Simpsons) won the Windsor McKay Award. In his acceptance speech, he said: “I’ve been in the business for 60 years now, and I enjoy every minute of it,” because in animation, “We make people laugh.”

Visual Effects Society: VES Awards

@VFXsociety #VESawards
February 2 @ Beverly Hilton

Congrats winners and nominees at the Visual Effects Society Awards!
– Star Wars: The Force Awakens won 4: best VFX in Photoreal Film, BB8 won best Model, and the Falcon Chase / Graveyard scene won Virtual Cinematography and Created Environment

– The Revenant won 3: Bear won Animated Performance, Compositing and Supporting VFX. “It was amazing to suffer on set with you in the cold,” said one of the Revenant awards winners.

– Good Dinosaur won 2: VFX in Animated Film and VFX Simulation in Animated Film

Art Directors Guild Awards

@ADG800 #ADGawards
January 31 @ Beverly Hilton

Congrats winners (especially digital) at the Art Directors Guild Awards that recognizes excellence in art direction and production design across film, TV, and other projects. The award trophy has a new look and a new name this year: the Cinemagundi.

Director David O Russell received the Cinematic Imagery Award, presented by Josh Brolin. In his acceptance speech, David said he loves getting the production design details right for films. He said he watched Gone With The Wind and the Wizard of Oz over and over again to be transported to those worlds, and studied how films set designs are key in storytelling.

He said that in filming Silver Linings Playbook, he learned that affluent homes in Pennsylvania where the movie is based have big porches and family portraits with everyone on the front porch. So he made sure to include that in the movie. He loves discovering our humanity in life’s details, and putting these worlds on film to share with the rest of the world.

“It’s as important as the script. It just means every thing to me,” Russell said.

Comedian Owen Benjamin hosted the awards for the third consecutive year. Like last year, he performed a song he composed about unsung heroes the production designers, singing and playing the piano.

– Nancy Meyers won the Golden Eddie, given to a filmmaker beloved by editors. Nancy described how she’s often in the edit room staring at the screens day and night with the editors on films she’s made, including The Intern, Something’s Gotta Give, The Parent Trap, The Holiday, It’s Complicated, What Women Want, and many more.

“It’s very unusual in Hollywood to receive an award that doesn’t have the word ‘woman’ on it,” she said, accepting her award with a smile. (photo right). She also traded light banter with Steve Martin, who has starred in several of her movies, and presented her award.

Producers Guild Awards

Congrats winners, especially digital!
– The Big Short won top film producing award. The PGA best picture winner usually also win the Oscars Best Picture

– Pixar’s Inside Out won Animated Film

– Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee won Digital Series.

Golden Globes

@GoldenGlobes #GoldenGlobes
January 10 @ Beverly Hilton

– Amazon Studios celebrated its two Mozart In the Jungle awards with a huge party in the Starlight room and rooftop of the Beverly Hilton, where the Paramount party was last year. Mozart in the Jungle won bfest TV Comedy/Musical, and Gabriel Gael Garcia won best actor, TV Comedy/Musical
– Pixar’s Inside Out won Animated feature

– Netflix received eight Globes nominations including noms for House of Cards and Narcos
– Hulu received a nomination for Casual